Bridging the injured spinal cord with neural stem cells

Spinal cord injury （SCI） damages not only the gray matter neurons, but also the white matter axonal tracts that carry signals to and from the brain, re- suiting in permanent loss of function below injury. Neural stem cells （NSCs） have high therapeutic potential for reconstruction of the injured spinal cord since they can potentially fnrm neuronal relays to bridge functional con-nectivity between separated spinal cord segments. This requires host axonal regeneration into and connectivity with donor neurons, and axonal growth and connectivity of donor neurons to host central nervous system （CNS） circuitry. In this mini-review, we will discuss key studies that explore novel neuronal relay formation by grafting NSCs in models of SCI, with emphasis on long-distance axonal growth and connectivity of NSCs grafted into in-jured spinal cord.

Transplanting neural progenitors to build a neuronal relay across the injured spinal cord

Cellular transplantation for repair of spinal cord injury is a prom- ising therapeutic strategy that includes the use of a variety of neural and non-neural cells isolated or derived from embryonic and adult tissue as well as embryonic stem cells and induced plu- ripotent stem cells. In particular, transplants of neural progenitor cells （NPCs） have been shown to limit secondary injury and scar formation and create a permissive environment in the injured spinal cord through the provision of neurotrophic molecules and growth supporting matrices that promote growth of injured host axons. Importantly, transplants of NPC are unique in their poten- tial to replace lost neural cells - including neurons, astrocytes,

Application and implications of polyethylene glycol-fusion as a novel technology to repair injured spinal cords

Conventional vs. polyethylene glycol （PEG）-fusion tech- nologies to repair severed spinal axons： Most spinal cord injuries （SCIs） involve cutor crush-severance of spinal tract axons in the central nervous system （CNS）. Clinical out- comes after CNS axonal severance is very poor because proximal segments of CNS axons lack a suitable environment for outgrowth （Kakulas, 1999; Fitch and Silver, 2008; Rowland et al., 2008; Kwon et al., 2010） and therefore do not naturally regenerate （Ramon y Caial, 1928）. Current strategies to try to increase behavioral recovery after SCI are focused on en- hancing the environment for axonal outgrowth.

Bridging large gaps in the injured spinal cord: mechanical and biochemical tissue adaptation

Incidence and consequences of spinal cord injuries： World- wide, every year 250,000-500,000 people suffer from spinal cord injury （SCI; www.who.int, 2013）. Traumatic lesions of the spinal cord lead to primary and secondary injury mechanisms, which result in axon damage, loss of signal conduction, demyelination of axons and long-lasting deficits in motor and sensory func- tion. The extent of the damage and the subsequent functional loss depend on the spinal level and the severity of the primary injury. Furthermore, pathophysiological and pathomorpholog- ical responses in acute and chronic SCI share similar but also different requirements for treatment.

Electrical stimulation of cortical neurons promotes oligodendrocyte development and remyelination in the injured spinal cord

Background and early studies： Endogenous tri-potential neural stem cells （NSCs） exist in the adult mammalian central nervous system （CNS）. In the spinal cord, NSCs distribute throughout the entire cord, but exist predominately in white matter tracts. The phenotypic fate of these cells in white matter is glial, largely oligodendrocyte, but not neuronal.

Repairing the injured spinal cord: sprouting versus regeneration. Is this a realistic match?

The article by Meves and Zheng （2014） is addressing a continu- ous shift in the field of spinal cord injury （SCI） research that has occurred over the last century. Before that, the spinal cord was viewed as ＂hard wired＂ and treatment considerations were based on observations that axons in the periphery were able to regenerate, but those in the central nervous system （CNS） were not （David and Aguayo, 1981）.

Effect of the implant composite of poly lactide-co-glycolide and bone mesenchymal stem cells modified by basic fibroblast growth factor on injured spinal cord in rats

Objective To investigate the effect of the implant composite of poly lactide-co-glycolide(PLGA)and bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) modified by basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) on injured spinal cord in rats.Methods Two hundred and